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Eye Injury: First Aid for a Black Eye

Topic Overview

A black eye is a type of bruise. Simple bruises are treated with ice
and by elevating the head. The bruise should be gone in 2 to 3 weeks.

Apply
ice or cold packs for 15 minutes 3 or 4 times a day during the first 48
hours to help reduce swelling. Place a cloth between the ice and the skin. The
sooner you apply a cold pack, the less swelling will occur.

Do not
use chemical cooling packs. If the pack leaks, the chemicals could cause more
eye damage. Do not use a raw piece of meat on a black eye.

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